"Aside from the direct lands of Starfall, our vassal lords and landed knights should be able to raise one thousand five hundred soldiers. That brings our total fighting strength to roughly four thousand men."
The old Master-at-Arms, Ser Clegg, added, "However, it takes time for the vassals to muster their levies, and even more time to train them."
Arthur nodded after listening. He thought for a moment and said, "I understand our strength. Now, let me tell you what I know about the Vulture King and the problems we face."
Arthur shared the information he had gleaned from the wildling woman with the council: the Vulture King had a giant vulture companion and had already united the tribes of the Red Mountains.
The reactions around the table varied.
Edric was fascinated by the giant vulture.
Ser Bard was certain that after uniting the tribes, the Vulture King was planning something big, not just the petty raids of before. He urged them to intensify conscription and training.
Most of the people at the table agreed with Ser Bard.
Arthur, however, voiced his opposition. "We cannot recruit blindly."
"We lack intelligence on the Vulture King. We don't know the size of his forces, when he will attack, or where he will strike. We don't even know if he will attack."
"His forces are in the Red Mountains. Given the treacherous terrain, it is highly unlikely we can find and destroy them in their own element."
Arthur took a sip of Summerwine and continued. "If we muster a full army now and he doesn't attack, we will drain our treasury and granaries. We won't need the Vulture King to defeat us; we'll collapse into chaos on our own."
"Arthur is right," Ser Barton, who frequently led patrols against wildlings, nodded in agreement.
"The initiative lies with them. Every time we march on Violet Canyon, they retreat into the Red Mountains and set traps."
"We tried entering the mountains once. We had to abandon our horses. They knew the terrain, threw rocks from above, and laid snares. We lost four men dead and six wounded that day."
"Attacking the wildlings in the Red Mountains is indeed unwise," Captain of the Guard Ser Ilyric added.
"But we can't be defenseless. History records Vulture Kings sacking castles. If they truly attack..."
Maester Oswell waved his hand to interrupt the captain and looked at Arthur.
"Arthur, since you see the problem clearly, you must have a solution. Speak your mind."
His aunt Allyria was even more direct. "Arthur, what do you think we should do?"
"I will share my thoughts, though I may be wrong." Arthur hedged his bets, seeing everyone looking at him with expectation.
"Since offense is hopeless, we must think about defense—specifically, defense with minimal consumption of resources."
Arthur pointed to the river on the map.
"For defense, the Torrentine River gives us a huge advantage. Abandoning Violet Canyon was a wise decision earlier; now we only need to hold the riverbank."
"The Torrentine is swift and treacherous. The wildlings have no ships. If they want to cross in force to attack, they must use a bridge."
"Therefore, their main avenue of attack is easy to predict."
Arthur pointed to the west bank of the only solid stone arch bridge spanning the middle reaches of the Torrentine: Vulture's Roost.
To hold the river, hold the bridgehead. It was obvious.
"If we send two hundred archers to help garrison Vulture's Roost, have High Hermitage strengthen its defenses, and evacuate the smallfolk from the west bank..."
"Then arrange for ships to patrol the Torrentine. The Vulture King won't be able to fly across the river anytime soon."
"When they attack Vulture's Roost, we will have ample time to mobilize our full strength for a decisive battle. We won't be caught off guard."
The old Master-at-Arms' eyes lit up. "This is a good plan. It avoids draining our resources with early mobilization, yet gives us enough time to react."
"So we delay mustering the levies?" Ser Bard looked at his father and Maester Oswell, and seeing they didn't speak, he looked back at Arthur and repeated the question.
"Arthur, we delay the muster?"
Arthur shook his head, a strange glint in his eyes. "No. Muster as many as we can now, and train them hard. I suspect our enemies are not just the Vulture King."
A flicker of surprise passed through Maester Oswell's eyes. "You mean...? You think some vassals will not answer our call?"
"We cannot rule out that possibility. If one vassal refuses the summons and goes unpunished, others will follow suit." Arthur drained his cup of Summerwine.
"I see the emergence of the Vulture King as an opportunity—a perfect chance to re-establish the authority of Starfall!"
---
Three days had passed since Starfall sent ravens to summon the bannermen.
Vassal lords and landed knights, leading their mustered levies, began to trickle into the Dawn Market outside Starfall.
Those too far to arrive quickly had sent raven messages in response.
Now, Starfall hosted many lords and knights from all over the Torrentine lands.
The small council chamber was no longer sufficient, so they moved back to the Lord's Hall.
Maester Oswell sat to the left of the high seat. "Currently, the Lords of Beacon Tower and Nightfall Hall have not replied, nor have they brought troops."
Allyria: "Send riders with letters to them. Find out what is happening."
A middle-aged woman with dark, smooth skin stepped out from the crowd.
"My Lady, when I passed Beacon Tower, I saw no sign that Ser Kendrick was mustering his smallfolk. I sent men to ask him, but his soldiers replied that he would not answer a woman's questions."
The woman was the Lady of Broken Arm, possessing the typical features of a Salty Dornishwoman.
Allyria, recalling the Maester's counsel, spoke firmly. "Lady Alerie, I will have my men deliver the summons. If he still refuses to muster his people and fulfill his feudal obligations to Starfall, I will punish him."
Lady Alerie curtsied again, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes.
"My Lady, Sers, My Lords... speaking of punishment... Ser Kendrick previously seized my lands and my manor. Fortunately, you ruled justly that he return my territory and compensate me. But he has refused to obey. I beg you to uphold justice and help me recover what is mine."
This time, Allyria nodded quickly. "My Lady, we will ensure you recover your rights and compensation. Ser Kendrick will receive the punishment he deserves."
"Thank you, My Just Lady."
Satisfied with the answer, Lady Alerie retreated into the crowd.
Allyria promised everyone in the hall, "Starfall will remember your loyalty. After the war, you will be rewarded accordingly."
Next, the old Master-at-Arms announced the defense plan. The mustered levies would be taken to the lower and middle reaches of the Torrentine to establish training camps and build watchtowers along the river to guard against the Vulture King.
---
Two more days passed. The riders sent to Beacon Tower and Nightfall Hall had not returned.
However, news came from High Hermitage: wildling scouts had been spotted near Vulture's Roost.
Upon learning that the riders had been gone for two days without word, Maester Oswell showed a rare flash of anger during the small council meeting.
"One annexes the lands of other lords, the other robs passing caravans. We tolerated them in peaceful times, but now they dare to openly refuse a summons to war!"
Allyria: "They swore oaths of fealty to my father and brother. And now they act like this."
"The Vulture King's attack is imminent; time waits for no one," Arthur said.
"In my view, even the lords who answered the call may not have given their all. Maester Oswell, if we do not demonstrate Starfall's strength and awe our vassals now, the coming fight against the Vulture King will be very difficult."
Maester Oswell: "Arthur, can you take one of these two castles quickly, before the Vulture King attacks?"
Arthur didn't answer immediately. He studied the locations of Beacon Tower and Nightfall Hall on the map carefully.
After weighing his options, Arthur spoke. "Give me the supplies I need, all the cavalry, and two hundred armored household guards. I will strive for a swift victory and take Beacon Tower quickly!"
Maester Oswell nodded. "Ser Barton and Ser Bard will go with you. I will have Fat Karen prepare the supplies."
Allyria urged him from the side, "Arthur, you must be careful. It doesn't matter if you don't take the castle, just come back alive. Edric and I will pray for you in the Sept."